Deteriorated parts blamed for Reno crash

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that deteriorated locknut inserts found in Jimmy Leeward’s P-51D that crashed during the 2011 National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, allowed the trim tab attachment screws to become loose, and even initiated fatigue cracking in one screw. This condition, which resulted in reduced stiffness in the elevator trim system, ultimately led to aerodynamic flutter at racing speed that broke the trim tab linkages, resulting in a loss of controllability and the eventual crash, NTSB officials said. Continue Reading »